Mobile wireless communications device providing pattern/frequency control features and related methods

ABSTRACT

A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing, a wireless transceiver carried by the portable housing, and a plurality of antennas also carried by the portable housing. Each antenna may have a different gain pattern at a different respective operating frequency, and the antennas may have different shapes to define different gain patterns at a given operating frequency. The mobile wireless communications device may further include a frequency/pattern diversity controller for controlling the wireless transceiver to preferentially operate with the plurality of antennas.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/054,159filed Feb. 9, 2005 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,890,133, the entire disclosure ofwhich is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of communications systems,and, more particularly, to wireless communications systems and relatedmethods.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Computers are often connected together as part of a Local Area Network(LAN). The LAN permits computers to share data and programs with oneanother. Many typical LANs are based upon physical connections betweenindividual computers and a server, for example. The connections may betwisted pair conductors, coaxial cables, or optical fibers, for example.

There is also another class of LAN based upon wireless communication tothe individual computers. A wireless LAN is not restricted to havingphysical connections to the individual computers. Accordingly, originalinstallation may be simplified. Additionally, one or more of thecomputers may be used in a mobile fashion. In other words, the user mayuse a laptop computer and move from place to place while still beingconnected via the wireless LAN.

Various standards have been created to define operating protocols forwireless LANs, such as the IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth standards. The IEEE802.11 standard, for example, defines the protocol for several types ofnetworks including ad-hoc and client/server networks. An ad-hoc networkis a network where communications are established between multiplestations in a given coverage area without the use of an access point orserver. The standard provides methods for arbitrating requests to usethe medium to ensure that throughput is maximized for all of the usersin the base service set.

The client/server network uses an access point that controls theallocation of transmit time for all stations and allows mobile stationsto roam from one access point to another. The access point is used tohandle traffic from the mobile radio to the wired or wireless backboneof the client/server network. This arrangement allows for pointcoordination of all of the stations in the basic service area andensures proper handling of the data traffic. The access points routedata between each station and other wired/wireless stations, or to andfrom the network server (i.e., a base station). Of course, two or moreLANs may be interconnected using wireless LAN devices at respectiveaccess points. This may be considered a network bridge application.

One of the challenges of wireless LAN implementation is designingsuitable antennas that can provide desired performance characteristics,yet are relatively small in size to fit within mobile devices. Forexample, with wireless LAN devices such as laptop computers, it isdesirable to keep the overall size of the laptop as small as possible.Furthermore, internal antennas are generally preferred over externalantennas, as externally mounted antennas take up more space and aregenerally more acceptable to damage while traveling, etc.

One example of a wireless LAN antenna that is implemented on a PMCIAcard to be inserted in a PMCIA slot of a laptop computer is disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 6,031,503 to Preiss, II et al. The antenna assemblyincludes two folded, U-shaped antennas, which may be dipoles or slotradiators, that are disposed orthogonally to one another to providepolarization diversity. Polarization diversity means that signals aretransmitted and received on two different polarizations to increase thelikelihood that the signal is received. Signals are carried to and fromthe antenna by microstrip feed lines. The microstrip lines are placedoff center along each antenna slot to establish an acceptable impedancematch for the antenna, and the feed lines are coupled to thecommunications card by coaxial cables.

Another exemplary wireless LAN antenna configuration is disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 6,624,790 to Wong et al. This patent discloses first andsecond dual-band printed monopole antennas which are disposedorthogonally to one another on a substrate. The antenna elements are thesame shape (i.e., an “F” shape). In particular, the antenna elementsprovide 2.4 GHz and 5.2 GHz WLAN operation.

There is an increasing trend toward using other portable, handheldcommunications devices in wireless LANs which are even smaller thanlaptops, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and cellular phones,for example. Accordingly, with even more restrictive space constraintsfor such handheld devices, there is a need for antennas which areappropriately sized for such applications yet still provide desiredperformance characteristics.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of thepresent invention to provide a mobile wireless communications deviceincluding an antenna system which provides desired performance usingfrequency/pattern diversity and related methods.

This and other objects, features, and advantages in accordance with thepresent invention are provided by a mobile wireless communicationsdevice which may include a frequency/pattern diversity controller. Themobile wireless communications device may further include a portablehousing, a wireless transceiver carried by the portable housing, and aplurality of antennas also carried by the portable housing. Each antennamay have a different gain pattern at a different respective operatingfrequency, and the antennas may have different shapes to definedifferent gain patterns at a given operating frequency. Moreover, thefrequency/pattern diversity controller may control the wirelesstransceiver to preferentially operate with the plurality of antennas.

More particularly, the frequency/pattern diversity controller maycontrol the wireless transceiver to preferentially switch at least oneantenna on and at least one antenna off for receiving signals. Thus, agiven antenna may be selected for receiving if its respective gainpattern at the given operating frequency provides better reception thanthe other antennas. Alternately, the frequency/pattern diversitycontroller may control the wireless transceiver to preferentially weightreceived signals.

In addition, the frequency/pattern diversity controller may control thewireless transceiver to preferentially switch at least one antenna onand at least one antenna off for transmitting signals. Furthermore, eachantenna may be designated for transmitting signals at differentrespective operating frequencies, and the frequency/pattern diversitycontroller may control the wireless transceiver to preferentially switchthe antennas on and off for transmitting signals based upon a givenoperating frequency.

The different gain patterns may comprise different gain patterns fordifferent polarizations in some embodiments. Further, each antenna mayhave a respective boresight aligned in a common direction. The mobilewireless communications device may further include a circuit boardcarried by the portable housing and carrying the wireless transceiver,and it may also carry the frequency/pattern diversity controller.Moreover, at least one of the antennas may comprise a conductive traceon the circuit board. That is, at least one of the antennas may becarried within the portable housing. By way of example, the wirelesstransceiver may be a wireless local area network (LAN) transceiver.

A method aspect of the invention is for operating a mobile wirelesscommunications device, such as the one described briefly above. Themethod may include controlling the wireless transceiver topreferentially operate with the plurality of antennas to providefrequency/pattern diversity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a mobile wireless communicationsdevice in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the circuit board of the mobile wirelesscommunications device of FIG. 1 illustrating respective boresights ofthe antenna thereon.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of an exemplary embodiment of theantennas of the mobile wireless communications device of FIG. 1illustrating respective polarizations thereof.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are flow diagrams illustrating methods of operating amobile wireless communications device in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram illustrating exemplary components ofa mobile wireless communications device in accordance with the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodimentsof the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied inmany different forms and should not be construed as limited to theembodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided sothat this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fullyconvey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Likenumbers refer to like elements throughout and prime notation is used toindicate similar elements or steps in different embodiments.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1-3, a mobile wireless communicationsdevice 20 in accordance with the present invention illustrativelyincludes a portable housing 21, a wireless transceiver 22 carried by theportable housing, and a plurality of antennas 23, 24 also carried by theportable housing. In the illustrated embodiment, the wirelesstransceiver 22 is a wireless local area network (LAN) transceiver forcommunicating over a wireless LAN 27. However, it should be noted thatin other embodiments the mobile wireless communications device 20 may beused with other wireless communication networks, such as a cellulartelephone network, for example. The antennas 23 and 24 are referred toherein as the first and second antennas, respectively, for clarity ofexplanation.

The wireless transceiver 22 and first and second antennas 23, 24 may becarried by a circuit board 25, such as a printed circuit board (PCB),for example. More particularly, the first and second antennas 23, 24 maycomprise printed conductive traces on the circuit board 25. In otherembodiments, the first and second antenna elements 23, 24 need not be onthe circuit board 25, but may instead be on a separate antennasubstrate, which need not be co-planar with the circuit board. Ofcourse, portions of either antenna element 23, 24 may be on both thecircuit board 25 and a separate antenna substrate. In still anotherembodiment, one or more of the antennas 23, 24 may be carried on theexterior of the housing 21, for example.

Despite the particular configuration in a given embodiment, each antenna23, 24 preferably has a different gain pattern at a different respectiveoperating frequency, and they preferably have different shapes to definedifferent gain patterns at a given operating frequency. Moreover, themobile wireless communications device 20 further illustratively includesa frequency/pattern diversity controller 26 for controlling the wirelesstransceiver 22 to preferentially operate with the antennas 23, 24. Thatis, the controller 26 advantageously provides frequency/patterndiversity by controlling the frequency and/or gain pattern used foreither transmission or reception.

By way of example, the wireless LAN 27 may utilize multiple operatingfrequency bands such as a 2.4 GHz frequency band (i.e., approximately2.4 to 2.483 GHz) and a 5 GHz frequency band (i.e., approximately 4.9 to6 GHz), as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Because the5 GHz frequency band is roughly double the 2.4 GHz frequency band, it ispossible to make each of the antennas 23, 24 resonate in both frequencybands. This may be done by varying the effective length of the antennas23, 24 using appropriate design techniques for the given antenna typesused, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Thus, in accordance with the present example, both of the antennas 23,24 are designed to resonate in both the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency bands,but they each have different gain patterns in the two frequency bands,and the gain patterns of each antenna are different from the gainpatterns of the other antenna at a given operating frequency. Moreparticularly, the first antenna 23 is designed so that its maximum gainalong its boresight 28 (FIG. 2) occurs at the 2.4 operating frequency,while the maximum gain of the second antenna 24 along its boresight 29occurs at the 5 GHz operating frequency. Preferably, the respectiveboresights 28, 29 are aligned in a common direction, such as at a sameangle α (e.g., 90°) with respect to the circuit board 25, as shown inFIG. 2. It should be noted that the antenna elements 23, 24 are shownwith hatching in FIG. 2 for clarity of illustration, even though this isnot a cross-sectional view.

As such, the frequency/pattern diversity controller 26 may control thewireless transceiver 22 to preferentially switch one of the antennas 23,24 on and the other off for receiving signals based upon which antenna'sgain pattern is providing the best reception. The frequency/patterncontroller 26 may make this determination based upon signal strength ornoise measurements, for example, as will be appreciated by those skilledin the art. Thus, a given one of the antennas 23, 24 may be selected forreceiving if its respective gain pattern at the given operatingfrequency provides better reception than the other antenna.

Alternately, rather than using one of the antennas 23, 24 and not theother, the frequency/pattern diversity controller 26 may control thewireless transceiver 22 to preferentially weight received signals. Thus,based upon signal strength and noise considerations, for example, thefrequency/pattern diversity controller 26 may control the wireless LANtransceiver to weight the signals received by each of the first andsecond antennas 23, 24.

The frequency/pattern diversity controller 26 may similarly control thewireless transceiver 22 to preferentially operate the antennas 23, 24during transmission. That is, the frequency/pattern diversity controller26 may control the wireless transceiver 22 to preferentially switch oneof the antennas 23, 24 on and the other off for transmitting signals.More particularly, each of the antennas 23, 24 may designated fortransmitting signals at different respective operating frequencies.

For example, the first antenna 23 may be designated for transmitting inthe 2.4 GHz frequency band, while the second antenna 24 may bedesignated for transmitting in the 5.2 GHz band, as will be discussedfurther below. Of course, both antennas 23, 24 could be used fortransmitting signals and their outputs weighted, as similarly discussedfor received signals above. Thus, the frequency/pattern diversitycontroller 26 may preferentially switch the antennas 23, 24 on and offfor transmitting signals based upon the given operating frequency (i.e.,the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz frequency band) being used by the receivingwireless LAN device (e.g., an access point, etc.).

The mobile wireless communications device 20 therefore not only providesfrequency/pattern diversity, but it may also provide polarizationdiversity in certain embodiments. That is, the different gain patternsof the first and second antennas 23, 24 may comprise different gainpatterns for different polarizations. As shown in FIG. 3, for example,the first antenna 23 has substantially horizontal polarization asillustrated by a dashed arrow 30, while the second antenna 24 has asubstantially vertical polarization as illustrated by a dashed arrow 31.Of course, other polarization arrangements may also be used.

In the illustrated example, the first antenna 23 is a monopole antennawith a single feed point connected to a signal source 32 (i.e., thewireless transceiver). The second antenna 24 is a slot inverted Fantenna which has a first feed point connected to the signal source 32,and a second feed point connected to ground. The monopole antenna 24 hasa meandering shape in the illustrated example, which may be used tochange the effective length, for example. However, various other shapes(including a straight conductor) and antenna types may also be used inaccordance with the present invention, as will be appreciated by thoseskilled in the art.

Because the first antenna 23 is a single feed antenna, it will have astronger current flow on the circuit board 25 than the second antenna24, it is well suited for providing the maximum gain along the boresight28 at the 2.4 GHz operating frequency. On the other hand, because theantenna 24 has multiple feed points the current distribution on thecircuit board 25 will be more limited, it is well suited for providing amaximum gain along the boresight 29 at the 5 GHz operating frequency, aswill be appreciated by those skilled in the art. It should be noted thatmore than two antennas element may be used in some embodiments, and thatin such embodiments the frequency/pattern diversity controller 26 neednot control the wireless transceiver to preferentially operate all ofsuch antennas. Moreover, the antennas 23, 24 need not always be adjacentthe top of the device 20, e.g., one or more of the antennas may beadjacent the bottom of the device.

A method aspect of the invention for operating the mobile wirelesscommunications device 20 is now described with reference to FIG. 4.Beginning at Block 40, a determination is made as to which operatingfrequency or frequency band is to be used, at Block 41. Using the abovenoted example, when the device 20 is first turned on it may attempt toestablish communications with the wireless LAN 27 over both the 2.4 and5 GHz frequency bands, as will be appreciated by those skilled in theart. If the wireless LAN 27 is using the first (2.4 GHz) operatingfrequency band, then the first antenna 23 (which is the designated ordefault antenna for transmitting in this frequency band) is switched onand the second antenna 24 is switched off, at Block 42.

Furthermore, the frequency/pattern diversity controller 26 may determinewhich antenna 23, 24 is providing better reception, as discussed above,and switch that antenna on and the other off for receiving wirelesssignals, at Blocks 43-45, thus concluding the illustrated method (Block46). Similar steps to those illustrated in Blocks 42-45 would beperformed if the wireless LAN was using the second (5 GHz) operatingfrequency band (which are not shown in FIG. 4 for clarity ofillustration) as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

In an alternate embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, rather than initiallydetermining which antenna 23, 24 provides better reception as describedabove with reference to Block 43, each antenna may be designated as theinitial (or default) receiving antenna for a given operating frequencyband (e.g., the first antenna 23 for the 2.4 GHz frequency band, and thesecond antenna 24 for the 5 GHz frequency band), over that at Block 50′.If the reception quality (e.g., signal strength) using the defaultantenna 23 remains above a desired threshold over the first operatingfrequency band, at Block 51′, then the first antenna would continue tobe used, at Block 52′. However, if the received signal strength fellbelow the desired threshold, then the second antenna 24 may be used, orthe received signals from both the first and second antennas weightedaccordingly, at Block 53′, as discussed further above. Of course, theabove described method steps are merely exemplary, and differentvariations may be used in other embodiments. For example, the receptionquality may be determined based upon whether a noise level or bit errorrate exceeds a threshold, for example.

Exemplary components which may be used in accordance with the presentinvention are now described with reference to a handheld mobile wirelesscommunications device 1000 is shown in FIG. 6. The device 1000 includesa housing 1200, a keyboard 1400 and an output device 1600. The outputdevice shown is a display 1600, which is preferably a full graphic LCD.Other types of output devices may alternatively be utilized. Aprocessing device 1800 is contained within the housing 1200 and iscoupled between the keyboard 1400 and the display 1600. The processingdevice 1800 controls the operation of the display 1600, as well as theoverall operation of the mobile device 1000, in response to actuation ofkeys on the keyboard 1400 by the user.

The housing 1200 may be elongated vertically, or may take on other sizesand shapes (including clamshell housing structures). The keyboard mayinclude a mode selection key, or other hardware or software forswitching between text entry and telephony entry.

In addition to the processing device 1800, other parts of the mobiledevice 1000 are shown schematically in FIG. 6. These include acommunications subsystem 1001; a short-range communications subsystem1020; the keyboard 1400 and the display 1600, along with otherinput/output devices 1060, 1080, 1100 and 1120; as well as memorydevices 1160, 1180 and various other device subsystems 1201. The mobiledevice 1000 is preferably a two-way RF communications device havingvoice and data communications capabilities. In addition, the mobiledevice 1000 preferably has the capability to communicate with othercomputer systems via the Internet.

Operating system software executed by the processing device 1800 ispreferably stored in a persistent store, such as the flash memory 1160,but may be stored in other types of memory devices, such as a read onlymemory (ROM) or similar storage element. In addition, system software,specific device applications, or parts thereof, may be temporarilyloaded into a volatile store, such as the random access memory (RAM)1180. Communications signals received by the mobile device may also bestored in the RAM 1180.

The processing device 1800, in addition to its operating systemfunctions, enables execution of software applications 1300A-1300N on thedevice 1000. A predetermined set of applications that control basicdevice operations, such as data and voice communications 1300A and1300B, may be installed on the device 1000 during manufacture. Inaddition, a personal information manager (PIM) application may beinstalled during manufacture. The PIM is preferably capable oforganizing and managing data items, such as e-mail, calendar events,voice mails, appointments, and task items. The PIM application is alsopreferably capable of sending and receiving data items via a wirelessnetwork 1401. Preferably, the PIM data items are seamlessly integrated,synchronized and updated via the wireless network 1401 with the deviceuser's corresponding data items stored or associated with a hostcomputer system.

Communication functions, including data and voice communications, areperformed through the communications subsystem 1001, and possiblythrough the short-range communications subsystem. The communicationssubsystem 1001 includes a receiver 1500, a transmitter 1520, and one ormore antennas 1540 and 1560. In addition, the communications subsystem1001 also includes a processing module, such as a digital signalprocessor (DSP) 1580, and local oscillators (LOs) 1601. The specificdesign and implementation of the communications subsystem 1001 isdependent upon the communications network in which the mobile device1000 is intended to operate. For example, a mobile device 1000 mayinclude a communications subsystem 1001 designed to operate with theMobitex™, Data TAC™ or General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) mobile datacommunications networks, and also designed to operate with any of avariety of voice communications networks, such as AMPS, TDMA, CDMA, PCS,GSM, etc. Other types of data and voice networks, both separate andintegrated, may also be utilized with the mobile device 1000.

Network access requirements vary depending upon the type ofcommunication system. For example, in the Mobitex and DataTAC networks,mobile devices are registered on the network using a unique personalidentification number or PIN associated with each device. In GPRSnetworks, however, network access is associated with a subscriber oruser of a device. A GPRS device therefore requires a subscriber identitymodule, commonly referred to as a SIM card, in order to operate on aGPRS network.

When required network registration or activation procedures have beencompleted, the mobile device 1000 may send and receive communicationssignals over the communication network 1401. Signals received from thecommunications network 1401 by the antenna 1540 are routed to thereceiver 1500, which provides for signal amplification, frequency downconversion, filtering, channel selection, etc., and may also provideanalog to digital conversion. Analog-to-digital conversion of thereceived signal allows the DSP 1580 to perform more complexcommunications functions, such as demodulation and decoding. In asimilar manner, signals to be transmitted to the network 1401 areprocessed (e.g. modulated and encoded) by the DSP 1580 and are thenprovided to the transmitter 1520 for digital to analog conversion,frequency up conversion, filtering, amplification and transmission tothe communication network 1401 (or networks) via the antenna 1560.

In addition to processing communications signals, the DSP 1580 providesfor control of the receiver 1500 and the transmitter 1520. For example,gains applied to communications signals in the receiver 1500 andtransmitter 1520 may be adaptively controlled through automatic gaincontrol algorithms implemented in the DSP 1580.

In a data communications mode, a received signal, such as a text messageor web page download, is processed by the communications subsystem 1001and is input to the processing device 1800. The received signal is thenfurther processed by the processing device 1800 for an output to thedisplay 1600, or alternatively to some other auxiliary I/O device 1060.A device user may also compose data items, such as e-mail messages,using the keyboard 1400 and/or some other auxiliary I/O device 1060,such as a touchpad, a rocker switch, a thumb-wheel, or some other typeof input device. The composed data items may then be transmitted overthe communications network 1401 via the communications subsystem 1001.

In a voice communications mode, overall operation of the device issubstantially similar to the data communications mode, except thatreceived signals are output to a speaker 1100, and signals fortransmission are generated by a microphone 1120. Alternative voice oraudio I/O subsystems, such as a voice message recording subsystem, mayalso be implemented on the device 1000. In addition, the display 1600may also be utilized in voice communications mode, for example todisplay the identity of a calling party, the duration of a voice call,or other voice call related information.

The short-range communications subsystem enables communication betweenthe mobile device 1000 and other proximate systems or devices, whichneed not necessarily be similar devices. For example, the short-rangecommunications subsystem may include an infrared device and associatedcircuits and components, or a Bluetooth communications module to providefor communication with similarly-enabled systems and devices.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come tothe mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachingspresented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings.Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited tothe specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications andembodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appendedclaims.

1. A mobile wireless communications device comprising: a portablehousing; a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver carried bysaid portable housing; a plurality of antennas carried by said portablehousing, each antenna for transmitting signals at different respectiveoperating frequencies and having a respective different gain patternincluding a maximum gain along a boresight at a respective differentoperating frequency, the boresight for each of said plurality ofantennas being aligned in a common direction; and a controllercooperating with said WLAN transceiver to preferentially weight receivedsignals from each of said plurality of antennas and to operate saidplurality of antennas based upon the preferentially weighted receivedsignals, wherein said controller cooperates with said WLAN transceiverto preferentially switch said plurality of antennas on and off fortransmitting signals based upon a given operating frequency.
 2. Themobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said controllercooperates with said WLAN transceiver to preferentially switch at leastone antenna on and at least one antenna off for transmitting signals. 3.The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein thedifferent gain patterns comprise different gain patterns for differentpolarizations.
 4. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1wherein at least one of said plurality of antennas is carried withinsaid portable housing.
 5. The mobile wireless communications device ofclaim 1 further comprising a circuit board carried by said portablehousing and carrying said WLAN transceiver.
 6. A mobile wirelesscommunications device comprising: a portable housing; a wireless localarea network (WLAN) transceiver carried by said portable housing; aplurality of antennas carried by said portable housing, each antenna fortransmitting signals at different respective operating frequencies andhaving a respective different gain pattern including a maximum gainalong a boresight at a respective different operating frequency, theboresight for each of said plurality of antennas being aligned in acommon direction; and a controller cooperating with said WLANtransceiver to preferentially weight received signals from each of saidplurality of antennas based upon at least one of noise and signalstrength and to operate said plurality of antennas based upon thepreferentially weighted received signals, wherein said controllercooperates with said WLAN transceiver to preferentially switch saidplurality of antennas on and off for transmitting signals based upon agiven operating frequency.
 7. The mobile wireless communications deviceof claim 6 wherein said controller cooperates with said WLAN transceiverto preferentially switch at least one antenna on and at least oneantenna off for transmitting signals.
 8. The mobile wirelesscommunications device of claim 6 wherein the different gain patternscomprise different gain patterns for different polarizations.
 9. Themobile wireless communications device of claim 6 wherein at least one ofsaid plurality of antennas is carried within said portable housing. 10.The mobile wireless communications device of claim 6 further comprisinga circuit board carried by said portable housing and carrying said WLANtransceiver.
 11. A method of operating a mobile wireless communicationsdevice comprising a portable housing, a wireless local area network(WLAN) transceiver carried by the portable housing, and a plurality ofantennas carried by the portable housing, each antenna for transmittingsignals at different respective operating frequencies and having arespective different gain pattern including a maximum gain along aboresight at a respective different operating frequency, the boresightfor each of the plurality of antennas being aligned in a commondirection, the method comprising: using a controller cooperating withthe WLAN transceiver to preferentially weight received signals from eachof the plurality of antennas and to operate the plurality of antennasbased upon the preferentially weighted received signals and topreferentially switch the plurality of antennas on and off fortransmitting signals based upon a given operating frequency.
 12. Themethod of claim 11 further comprising using the controller topreferentially switch at least one antenna on and at least one antennaoff for transmitting signals.
 13. The method of claim 11 wherein thedifferent gain patterns comprise different gain patterns for differentpolarizations.
 14. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of theplurality of antennas is carried within the portable housing.